I've just lucked (?) into a few small turning blocks of ironwood from Arizona. I'm wondering if there is anything special I need to know before putting them on the lathe. I was advised that there will be no shavings, only dust, and that the dust is toxic enough to warrant wearing a breathing mask.
I assume I will have to sharpen more often,
Is all this so, in your extensive experiences? What else? What about finishing? I have heard that it just needs to be sanded with progressively higher and higher grits, and then burnished without a finish. Yes?
Desert Ironwood is a wood that works very well with scrapers. I suppose gouges and skews will work, but I've had the best luck with scrapers. There will be no shavings as you've been told and the dust is not good to breath. The stuff almost takes on a shine from the tool, but sanding with fine grits makes the shine even deeper. I personally like to finish with a little wax and then buff to a high gloss.
GeorgeMS wrote: : I've just lucked (?) into a few small turning blocks of ironwood from : Arizona. I'm wondering if there is anything special I need to know before : putting them on the lathe. I was advised that there will be no shavings, : only dust, and that the dust is toxic enough to warrant wearing a breathing : mask.
: I assume I will have to sharpen more often,
It's apparently like turning brass.
As to toxicity, I was warned in no uncertain terms by a local dealer to use every possible air fitration to protect my lungs and sinuses with it.
I got introduced to ironwood a few months ago and have turned about 15 pieces so far.. Still have a huge chunk to cut up..
I try to do as much as possible outside, as ironwood is very messy..
You shouldn't have a problem with small blocks, though..
It saws a bit hotter and harder than "normal" hardwood but the band saw works fine.. WARNING: I have a 4" dust collector line at the point of bandsaw contact and at the point of chisel contact on the lathe and a ceiling air filter unit.. My shop still gets COVERED with fine ironwood dust... YUK!
There WILL be shavings.. very thin nice ones, sometimes, but one of the many weird things about ironwood is that even when you're getting pretty shavings you're also getting the dust..
I hate wearing a mask of any kind but always wear the Dust-bee-gone when I'm working ironwood.. I don't think the wood is toxic or anything, but seeing it on the surfaces of the shop, I really don't want a bunch of it in my lungs..
It's hard on saws and if you take a disk sander to a chunk, it's a bitch, but it's surprisingly easy to turn... another weird thing about it..
I don't think I sharpen any more often with ironwood, but I don't really count.. If the tool edge feels or sounds like it's dulling, I hone or sharpen it..
Scrapers work very well with it and the nice thing about sanding it is that you don't have to worry about heat build up.. It seems to LIKE heat..lol
I usually sand it from 220 or 320 through 600, then buff it on the Beall system.. You don't have to buff or finish ironwood, but the buffing brings out the wonderful gold highlights in the ironwood..
I work with a local sculptor here in Baja and he polishes ironwood with another piece of ironwood... It does make a mirror glaze on it, but I prefer a little less "scratched" look..
I turn Desert Ironwood quite frequently, but I typically use a spindle gouge (sharpened with an Irish grind) and a skew to complete spindle projects. It turns quite well and I do get shavings, but they are very small ones.
I always finish DI, most of the time with lacquer, shellac or wax. I have also used epoxy on occasion with good results. If you sand DI up to a high grit, say 2000 or higher, you develop a beautiful metallic look in the golden coloured areas of the timber. It can be quite provocative and with some specimens, it looks similar to a metallic paint job on a fine automobile. Very nice indeed...
Well, ironwood is weird..lol I hollowed an ironwood wing bowl last night with a 1 1/2" round scraper and had nice, thin shavings rolling off.. Of course, being ironwood, I also through off a bunch of that nasty brown dust..
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